About Us

During the Pandemic, Middleburg Marketplace opened its virtual doors with over 40 high-quality vendors and 800 curated, handcrafted items. What makes Middleburg Marketplace a one-of-a-kind site is 100% of the profit goes to charity. Middleburg Marketplace also expands the distribution channels for artists, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs who were hit hard by the pandemic when events and shows were canceled.

When the global pandemic meant that an annual in-person fundraising event could not be held, Gene LeCouteur, Rector, Emmanuel Episcopal Church asked volunteers to use their many years of business, tech, and charitable work experience to create a nonprofit online marketplace. The focus is to drive money for charities and good causes by helping artists, artisans, and creative entrepreneurs to generate more sales. All marketplace profit is donated to charities and good causes.

Middleburg Marketplace lives its mission of “curated shopping for a cause”. We recruit high-quality merchants and select products including fine arts, unique apparel, hand-crafted jewelry, and high-quality crafts. Our cause directly connects us to a local food pantry, a low-cost housing organization, battered women shelter, hospice, people struggling to pay basic bills, and more.

Middleburg Marketplace is a multipurpose destination for artisans to sell their exceptional products and drive new revenue streams for charities and good causes. Charities and creative entrepreneurs have suffered throughout the pandemic and Middleburg Marketplace wants to be part of the solution.”

Middleburg Marketplace is continually on the lookout for new merchants and expanding our inventory. Even as life returns to normal, we will continue to supplement in-person shows and focus on our cause to donate as much as we can to charities and good causes.

Middlelburg Marketplace is a nonprofit, online marketplace supplying unique, high-quality, curated products with 100% of the profit going to charities and good causes. Please contact Melanie Ingram, General Manager at melanie@middleburgmarketplace.org for further information.

Our History: The Christmas Shop

In 1948 the women of Emmanuel Episcopal Church in Middleburg began organizing and hosting The Christmas Shop. The goal was (and is) to raise funds for the church and its outreach partners. To do so, they envisioned bringing exceptional shops and artisans to the Piedmont region for an annual event, offering local residents the opportunity to purchase distinctive gifts for family and friends while supporting good causes and small businesses. This year, we are expanding on this wonderful tradition and taking that experience online.

Going Forward: Middleburg Marketplace

Many things have changed over the past 72 years, including the opportunity for people to shop online and purchase directly from vendors all over the world. What remains the same for our Marketplace is that we do the legwork for shoppers, identifying fine artisans and unique vendors, then bringing them all together in one place online for their shopping experience. While there is nothing like getting out of the house and visiting picturesque Middleburg, this year you will be able to shop the special vendors as before from the safety of your home.

Our Value Add

Shopping Middleburg Marketplace We are building on our 72 years of experience identifying fine artists, craftsmen, and unique vendors and bringing them all together in a unique bucolic setting. We are recreating that experience in a new online marketplace that will provide a similar experience. In today’s uncertain times we must continue to support our communities and causes. People are depending on us and we can’t let them down. We are grouping into six collections; Jewelry & Art, Food, Health & Beauty, Home & Garden, Clothing & Accessories, and Everything Animals. Customers will also have the ability to donate directly to six charities if they don’t see anything they want to buy.

MEET OUR TEAM

Mary Hayes

Executive Director
Sally Lowe Ashburn

CMO & CTO
Melanie Ingram

General Manager
Pete Hayes

Senior Advisor